DAR ES SALAAM – Rwanda scored 1.5 points in the Foursome morning session on Friday to temporarily drop to fourth place at the ongoing East African Golf Challenge at the Par-71 Gymkhana Golf Course in Dar es Salaam.

Hosts Tanzania, despite a return of just one point in the morning session, continue to lead this year’s challenge with 8.5 points after Kenya reduced the gap from two to just half a point following their near-perfect session that brought them 3.4 points, the highest by any team.

Rwanda dropped to fourth with a total 5.5 points after managing 1.5 points, falling behind defending champions Uganda (7 points), who returned 3 points in the morning. Ethiopia and Burundi also managed 1.5 points to remain fifth and sixth with 3.5 and 2.5 points after one and half days.

Rwanda’s 1.5 points came through Emmanuel Rutayisire and Aloys Nsabimana, who defeated Burundi’s Simbagoye and Hakizimana 3/2, while Francois Habimana and Celestin Nsanzuwere drew with Tilaye and Hagos of Ethiopia, for each team to take half a point.

James Ndikumana and Alain Niyonkuru lost to Tanzania’s Mchara and Mteve 8/7 while the two Nkurunziza’s; Leonard and Emmanuel were beaten 3/2 by Kagwe and Mudanye of Kenya.

In the Friday afternoon session, teams are contesting in the better ball before the tournament winds up on Saturday with the Singles matchup, which will go a long way to determine the champion.

Team Rwanda captain, Leonard Nkurunziza said, "The morning session didn’t go as well as we wanted but I believe we can still make up in the afternoon session—if we get three points in the afternoon, that would be a good return, given than we’ve previously struggled in the Foursome.”

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